The Spirit That Inhabits Us All
by Hikari Daeron
Summary: My name is Seto Kaiba, and I have to write a play or story for school. I've decided to do it on Joey and his cousin, because Joey wants to learn guitar. Things get complicated when rivals become friends, a spirit comes in, and when true natures come out.
1. Prolouge: I Want To Learn

_The Spirit That Inhabits Us All_

_Prologue – I Want To Learn_

Here's Joey's continuous b-day fic!

This story IS in first POV, but it's NOT who you expect it to be!

* * *

I was about to walk up to her door when I saw someone else already there, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. I quickly hid in the shadows waited.

At last, he sighed, and knocked on the door. The quiet guitar playing from inside stopped, and a female voice said, "Come in."

He stepped inside, I moved closer, so that I could hear.

"Oh… hi Joey. What's up?"

"Well Hikari… there's a favor that I've been meaning to ask you." I was surprised. Joey Wheeler's accent was… gone. The street accent he held for years had suddenly evaporated.

"Shoot."

"Well… I want to learn guitar!" he blurted. This took me by surprise. Since when did Joey Wheeler want to learn an instrument?

"You want to learn guitar?" asked Hikari Daeron's voice incredulously.

"…Will you teach me?" whispered Joey's voice. I was surprised to hear how gently it sounded.

I could picture Hikari's pretty face softening. "Yes. Of course. But Joey…"

"What's up?"

"Well…" She sighed. "When I first learned guitar… I also learned from my friends."

"Veena and Julia," he said promptly.

"Yes… and, well, my first lesson was tough because Veena didn't have her guitar… besides, I wouldn't be half as good if I didn't have my own…"

"What are you saying?"

"Joey… you're going to need a guitar of your own. It'll be expensive, grant you. But, it'll be worth it."

"How much will I have to save?"

"…Well, it depends on what you buy, but… well, electrics are more expensive than acoustics… but… Joey, no matter what, after you have the money, once you find the guitar that calls to you, BUY IT. Don't look at the price. JUST GET IT. It's important to find the guitar that calls to you."

"But… how much will I have to save?"

"Well… let's go for… how about… five hundred dollars…?"

"FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS?"

"Shush, Joey, I know! It might cost more than that, but that's a starter. But it's not like I'm Seto Kaiba or anything! Here…" My curiosity got the better of me and I peeked through the keyhole. Hikari had stood up and pulled something out of her jeans. It was some bills. She walked over to something, looked at it a while, picked it up, and smashed it down. It shattered. She quickly counted whatever was there and walked over to Joey.

"Here… this is 50 even."

"What's this for?"

"To go towards your guitar."

"To… WHAT? Hikari, I can't take this money!"

She pushed it towards him. "Joey, take it. I have no use for it."

"But…"

"TAKE IT!"

Joey looked at her a while before putting the money into his bag. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Her expression softened. "Here… this is Christoph Jannsen." She handed Joey her guitar.

"Hello Christoph," said Joey solemnly to the guitar. Hikari smiled gently as she made him hold it correctly.

"Call him Tov," she said. "Okay, this is how you hold the guitar. You see these bar thingies? Those are called frets, from the first one all the way down to the twenty-first. Although you can't really play on the twenty-first." She stared to teach him some chords.

I straightened and walked away. I'd come back another time.

* * *

I was about to knock on the door when I heard Hikari.

"Yeah, well, it was for the best… shut up Veena… no, Julia, I don't like him… because he needs it, that's why, dumbass. Whattabitch! In the best way possible." She laughed. "You know love you. Hmm…? Oh shit…" She let out a long string of curses. "I completely forgot!" As I looked through the keyhole, I saw Hikari bang her fist on the table. She picked up a book and chucked it across the room. "I can't believe this!" After a few minutes of talking on the phone, she sighed. "Alright, see ya guys later." She hung up.

I knew that what I wanted to say would have to wait. I twirled on my heel and walked away.

* * *

Me: Thank you Veena for your wonderful commentary on all of my other stories.

Veena: Your welcome.


	2. Day One

The Spirit That Inhabits Us All 

_Chapter One – Day One_

This is Day One of however long I want it to be. Yes, with capital letters cause it's SPECIAL.

Jazz, you're right, it's Seto's POV, and, since you guessed, you get a special prize. -_tosses you a Link plushie-_ You DO still like Link, right? If not, I'll get Shana a Joey one. -_waves a Joey plushie-_ Or a Muroku one…? -_waves a Muroku plushie_-

* * *

"No, no, Joey!" Hikari's voice was full of suppressed laughs. "No, it's like _this_." She corrected his fingers and I heard Joey's frustrated moan. I suppressed a chuckle.

I've often heard Hikari say that there is a word for what I am doing, and that's "stalking." I'm following around the two of them secretly, watching what they're doing.

(Veena: coughLOSERcough!)

See, in order to FINALLY get out of the dump that's called a school, I have to make a play or story focusing on a real life event, any time in history up to today, whether it concerned me or not. I decided to use Joey and Hikari, and write the paper on those two, and Joey's guitar lessons.

I watched as Joey continued to try and learn the chord – D. Finally, when a clear note rang out, Joey raised his fist in triumph.

"At LAST!" he said. "I've been WAITING!"

Hikari grinned and took Tov from him. "Good," she said. She played D several times, humming _Row, Row, Row Your Boat_ and then another chord before back to D. "A7," she said promptly. "Jimmy made me practice that during the first class. I wanted to scream at him for more challenging stuff." Joey groaned. "Go on, laddie, you still have a lot to learn."

* * *

"Seto, are you okay?"

I grunted at my little brother. Mokuba looked at me disbelievingly as I sat at my laptop. He sipped his hot chocolate before he spoke again.

"She didn't…?"

"No."

"Then why…?"

"Because."

Suddenly Mokuba seemed to guess. Looking as indignant as he could in pajamas, he said, "You didn't even ASK her, did you? GOD, Seto, you're such a chicken." (OH THE POSSIBILITIES!)

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Gosh, she's human too, you know. If I were you, I would have asked her A LONG TIME AGO."

I grunted again and got back to my work. Mokuba sighed, exasperatedly, and there was knock on the door. I was surprised. Who would come over so late at night?

He went to answer it and yelled, "Oh my God! Seto!"

I quickly pushed my laptop away and ran to the front door. Hikari was there, dripping wet. Rain poured behind her. She was trying to hold up a semi-conscious Joey with one arm, a guitar case with the other. "Can we come in?" she murmured, her eyelids fluttering.

(Veena: Can we come in? No, we're leaving the half-conscious kid out in the rain, dummy.)

"Of course," Mokuba and I said at once, wondering what in God's name had happened.

As she walked it, I grabbed Joey from her with one hand, and slung my arm around her with the other to help her. Mokuba grabbed her guitar. She looked at us gratefully, and tiredly. Both of the two were ready to pass out. I took them upstairs, to a guest bedroom. Joey was already out. I put him on the bed before I half-carried her to a room near by. "Can you…" I said, hesitantly, "undress yourself?" (1)

She giggled from her exhausted state and nodded. "There's robes in there," I said, pointing to the closet, before leaving quickly, closing the door behind me.

I went back to Joey's room quickly and made a decision. I hoisted him up and undressed him, slipping on a dry robe quickly. I had noticed a bruise on his shoulders as I slipped the robe on, but I refused to see if he had any more. (2) I then dried his hair with a towel and threw a blanket over him. He was still asleep.

I ran back to Hikari's room, where I found her fast asleep in the bed, a robe on, without a blanket. I sighed and pulled it over her too.

I went back downstairs to a worried Mokuba. "Seto?"

"I don't know," I said. "We'll have to ask in the morning."

And so we left the two of them to sleep, and thought of what could have happened.

* * *

(1) Obviously he wouldn't want to undress a _girl_… well, then again, he _might _have… then again, not ALL boys are sex-obsessed perverts… although Veena disagrees.

(2) I didn't mean to suggest anything here. All I'm saying is that he wasn't willing to invade Joey's space to see if anything was serious, ESPECIALLY when he was unconscious.


	3. Day Two

The Spirit That Inhabits Us All 

_Chapter Two – Day Two

* * *

_

The next morning, as Mokuba ate his breakfast and I sipped coffee, Joey and Hikari came down. They both still wore the robes they had gone to be last night in.

"We can go pick up your clothes for you, if you like," I offered. "Or go shopping."

Hikari walked forwards and touched my shoulder gently. I stiffened slightly at the contact, but then softened. "Thank you," she said. "And thank you, too, Mokuba, for letting us come to you." Joey stayed silent, but nodded.

"Sit down and eat," Mokuba said at once. "Want me to get you something?"

"I'll get it, thanks," said Hikari. "Come on," she said to Joey. "Sit down." Joey responded by obeying. Hikari went to our fridge, opened it, looked at Joey, and sighed. "Mind if I make eggs for him? Would anyone else like some?"

"Not at all," I said. "And no, thank you, we're fine."

She pulled out two eggs and some cheese and butter. After searching, she came up with a pan, a wooden spoon, a knife and a bowl. She put butter in the pan, let that warm, mixed the eggs in the bowl, pour the eggs into the hot pan, sliced cheese onto it and, within a few minutes, had made an omelet. She put it on a plate and in front of Joey. "Eat. It'll do wonders for you. And then back to bed." Joey stayed silent, eating the meal.

Hikari sighed, poured herself some coffee (adding milk and sugar) said goodbye to Mokuba, who was leaving (we had gotten the day off) and sat next to me. She watched her cousin (Joey) eat what she had made. Once he was done, he nodded to us in thanks, and went back upstairs to sleep.

"Poor dear," she murmured. "C'mon, Seto, I've got a lot to explain to you. It's your right to know, since you've been so helpful. Thank you, by the way."

I shook my head and took her arm. "Somewhere private?"

"That would be nice."

"My room, then." It suddenly struck me how odd it would look, me in my full clothes and Hikari in a bathrobe. "How about I first stop over your house and pick up some clothes for both of you?"

"Would you?" said Hikari, gratefully. "Thanks, Seto."

Half and hour later I came back. I had gone to the Game Shop and got Ceribi and Yugi – I did _not _want to get their clothes, _especially _Hikari's, for obvious reasons. I drove her to Hikari's house, the little one that she shared with Joey. Ceribi and Yugi went in, packed clothes for them and then I drove them back to their Game Shop. 

Hikari smiled gratefully before taking her clothes and going to her room. She dropped off Joey's clothes on the way. When she came back, she was fully dress in jeans and a t-shirt.

"Ready," she said, and we went to my room.

* * *

"– So it was late at night and I was up, playing Tov and chatting to my friends Julia and Veena." Hikari had explained the guitar-learning thing, which I already knew, but I hadn't told her. She had gotten up onto why she and Joey had come the previous night. "I hear the door close and I go downstairs to see why. Joey apparently walked out. I hang up and follow, Tov in hand. He goes over to his dad's apartment. Of course, this is surprising, because Joey moved out, away from Malcolm (1)." She didn't tell why. "And… well, I followed… and… um… well, Malcolm was drunk again." That might explain something. "He… he beat Joey up again… and then I interfered and kinda pulled and El Kabong." She gave a sheepish grin. I quickly remembered the American show – a Spanish donkey with a guitar, named El Kabong, who went around hitting people over the head with the guitar. Of course, it would make sense for her to know, she's American. "I dragged Joey out of there and walked to the first place I thought of – you're house. I hope it was okay…"

"It's fine," I said quickly. I sat back, murmuring, "How could a man do that to his own son? That's sick…"

She looked away. "Malcolm's been this way since before Joey's parents divorced. Neither Annie nor Malcolm truly cared; otherwise they would have been better parents. Serenity cared, and I cared. I took the apartment here in Japan under my parents' name in order to save Joey – otherwise, I'd still be in Bushland." She grimaced at the U.S.'s president's name, an obvious Democrat. (And now we know my political views… BUSH IS A PUNK-ASS CHUMP.) "But anywhoosle, the point is that Joey needs someone to look after him here – I got a scholarship at Northwestern back in the U.S.," (an: I SO WISH. Even though I'm only in eighth grade.) "And I plan to use it – but I need to make sure that Joey's safe first. I'd take him to the U.S. with me, but I don't know if he'd go for it."

(Veena: yes, Bushland was my name for it, thanks. and yes, you did first hear Bush is punk-ass chump from me.)

I stayed silent, thinking. "I'll help in any way I can," I muttered to the subliminal question. I wasn't in it for Joey – well, I suppose I was, in some way, because I had seen a _totally _different side of him when he was with Hikari, one that I'd like to meet.

(Veena: yeah, the kind that doesn't do anything and lets people push him around!)

Her smile was the reassurance I needed. "Thank you _so _much," she said. "All I need for you to do is help me somehow convince him to come to the U.S. with me. I'm almost completely certain that he can get a scholarship at Northwestern for doctor's school."

I blinked. "He wants to be a doctor?"

"To help people. He doesn't want any more people victims to jerks like Malcolm and Annie." She spat her uncle and aunt's names with disgust. "Annie was awesome, and Malcolm was pretty cool too, but then something happened… Malcolm started drinking, and Annie left Joey." She shrugged. "I appreciate this, Seto." She gripped my shoulder and walked out.

I stayed in my seat, thinking about what she had told me.

* * *

(1) I don't know what Joey's parents' names are… so I'll just Malcolm and Annie – from Madyamisam. 


	4. Day Three

_The Spirit That Inhabits Us All_

_Chapter Three – Day Three_

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I also don't own _Driftwood: A Fairy Tale _by Cursive or _Stairway to Heaven_ by Led Zepplin. I also don't own Veena and Julia; Veena and Julia own them respectively. I DO however, own the plot of this story and Tov.

As always, I stuck in Veena's comments.

* * *

I woke up to the end of a song I didn't recognize.

"_My arms, my legs, my heart, my face,  
My name is Driftwood."_

I blinked and straightened up. The music ended there, and I heard footsteps. A shadow paused by my door and it opened. Mokuba poked his head in.

"What's up Seto?" he asked, coming it. He sat on the bed. "You're not yourself."

"Why do you say that?" I said smoothly.

"Well, for one thing, you normally wake up at like, five or whatever, but it's one now."

"One!" I gasped. "What are you doing here, then? You're supposed to be in school!"

Mokuba stared at me. "I had a half-day today, Hikari took me."

I stared. What _was _wrong with me? First over-sleeping – or just sleeping, I hardly sleep – and then forgetting that Mokuba had a half-day.

"Are you _sure _you're okay, Niisama?" he asked uncertainly. He touched my forehead and jumped back. "Good God, you're burning up!"

"Wha…?" But I couldn't complete my question. My vision went black.

(Veena: I TOLD you not to have that eighth shot...)

* * *

"_There's a lady who's sure_

_All that glitters is gold_

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven._

_When she gets there she knows_

_If the stores are all closed_

_With a word she can get what she came for._

_Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."

* * *

_

_It was such a weird feeling. I felt like I was suspended through time. I couldn't see a thing – it was just black. But it was what I heard – the song sounded so familiar, but I couldn't place it…

* * *

_

(Veena: And then Led Zeppelin magically appeared on a flaming pie and said "Come to us! DIE, BITCH!" Then Jimmy Page ZAPPED Seto really hard with his magical guitar of DOOM AND DEATH, BUT MOSTLY DOOM and then they disappeared.)

* * *

"_There's a sign on the wall_

_But she wants to be sure_

_'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings._

_In a tree by the brook_

_There's a songbird who sings,_

_Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven._

_Ooh, it makes me wonder,_

_Ooh, it makes me wonder."

* * *

_

_Slowly, it started coming back to me… Stair… something with Stairs…

* * *

_

(Veena: He's stupid. you've already said it like, four times.)

* * *

"_There's a feeling I get_

_When I look to the west,_

_And my spirit is crying for leaving._

_In my thoughts I have seen_

_Rings of smoke through the trees,_

_And the voices of those who stand looking._

_Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven."

* * *

_

_Stairway! Yes, slowly, I was remembering…

* * *

_

(Veena: ...how to tie my shoes...)

* * *

"_And it's whispered that soon_

_If we all call the tune_

_Then the piper will lead us to reason._

_And a new day will dawn_

_For those who stand long_

_And the forest will echo with laughter._

"_Oooh… and it makes me wonder._

_Oooh… and it makes me wonder._

_Oooh… and it makes me wonder._

_Oooh… and it makes me wonder._

_(And it makes me wonder.)_

_And it makes me wonder (wonder, wonder)._

_And it makes me wonder (wonder, wonder)._

"_If there's a bustle in your hedgerow_

_Don't be alarmed now,_

_It's just a spring clean for May Queen._

_Yes, there are two paths you can go by_

_But in the long run_

_There's still time to change the road you're on._

_Oooh.. and it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_Oooh.. and it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

"_Your head is humming and it won't go_

_In case you don't know,_

_The piper's calling you to join him,_

_Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,_

_And did you know_

_Your stairway lies on the whispering wind._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder."

* * *

_

_Stairway to Heaven… by Led Zepplin…

* * *

_

"_And as we wind on down the road_

_Our shadows taller than our soul._

_There walks a lady we all know_

_Who shines white light and wants to show_

_How ev'rything still turns to gold._

_And if you listen very hard_

_The tune will come to you at last._

_When all are one and one is all_

_To be a rock and not to roll._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder. _

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And it makes me wonder._

_And she's buying a stairway to heaven."

* * *

_

_But that was another voice singing with them… a female voice… she was softly singing the song as she moved around the room… she was quiet, but I was still able to hear her…_

_A cool and wet towel was placed on my forehead. I tried talking, but I don't think anything came out._

"Shh. It's okay, you're in good hands."

_I tried talking again, to say anything. I tried saying my brother's name. _

"Mokuba just left to get something to eat.You'll be alright. Your doctor's going to come as soon as possible, since he's out of town."

_I heard the door close. I struggled to open my eyes, but was stopped by the towel being pressed to my eyes. _"Keep them closed. Go back to sleep."

_The towel was lifted off of my forehead and I felt a stronger and bigger hand than the girl's touch it. The towel was replaced again._

"Yes, I know, he's burning up." _The girl, who had said this, sighed. _"Poor thing. I wonder how he got it. I – Joey, what are you doing?"

_I felt the same strong hands help me up. Soon, I was sitting. _"Did you make another potion-like-thing again?" _asked the girl._

_Still, the other said nothing. He – I assumed it was a male – dabbed the wet towel to my face and pressed something to my lips. I opened them a little, and a bitter liquid slipped down my throat. I coughed and opened my eyes._

The light hit me first. I blinked quickly until I could see clearly.

Hikari stood near my, worry on her face. I turned to look at the person who had helped me up. It was Joey. He was holding a cup of green liquid to my lips, motioning for me to drink it. I tried to hold the cup but nearly dropped it. He patiently took the cup from my shaking hands and helped me drink the bitter drink.

Hikari dabbed at my forehead. I realized that I was sweating profusely. "We were so worried. Poor Mokuba didn't want to leave your side. Joey and I have been doing the best we can, but I'm afraid your fever still hasn't broken."

I opened my mouth to say something, but was presented with another drink. I looked at Joey. "What…?" I tried to say, but started coughing.

Hikari helped me drink some water. "Joey is wonderful with making herbal medicines. They will help, I promise." She took a glass of the awful-looking stuff and made me drink it.

"Mokuba…?" I managed to say.

"Sleeping, Seto," she said soothingly, stroking my head. "Poor kid has been terrified for you. You gave us all quite a shock."

I rubbed my temples. "I think it's the stress," she said. "You need some other people to help you. Joey and I are willing to be those people."

"I –"

"You're not even in college yet, Seto," she interrupted. "You _have _to have someone else help you. You work, go to school, and are raising your kid brother. If it's people you know, it might not be so bad." She hugged me around the shoulders. I was stiff, very unused to the contact, unless it was from Mokuba. "Alright? It'll be okay."

I hoped so.

* * *

Me: Veena, I REFUSE to put the rest of your comments. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!

Veena: DIRTY!

Me: GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!


End file.
